Tim Cook says there will be consequences to having ‘rampant disinformation and conspiracy theories juiced by algorithms’.
Apple CEO Tim Cook has said it is time to face the consequences of having algorithms push users towards more engagement at any cost. Speaking at the Computers, Privacy, and Data Protection conference on Thursday, Cook said too many companies are asking what they can get away with, rather than what happens if they follow through on boosting metrics. “At a moment of rampant disinformation and conspiracy theories juiced by algorithms, we can no longer turn a blind eye to a theory of technology that says all engagement is good engagement — the longer the better — and all with the goal of collecting as much data as possible,” he said. “What are the consequences of seeing thousands of users join extremist groups, and then perpetuating an algorithm that recommends even more?” Cook touched on the recent US Capitol riots in Washington, saying the time was over to pretend there are no costs to boosting conspiracy theories and incitements to violence simply because users get engaged.
